Dominica will soon be able to inspect food at all ports of entry.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Griffin Benjamin, who represented the country’s Health Minister Julius Timothy at a workshop to implement a National Food Safety Policy in Dominica this week, said the move is in sticking with international health regulations.
“We hope to establish proper port health programs at Portsmouth, Woodbridge Bay and the Melville Hall Airport. Our efforts to conform to international health regulations of June 2011 are proceeding satisfactorily. Dominica will be able to inspect foods at all our ports of entry along other with key elements of this convention,” he said.
Dr. Benjamin said in order to achieve a National Food Safety Policy in Dominica, the minister of health supports the establishment of a national agriculture health committee which has the capacity to provide guidelines on safety foods in Dominica.
WELL I don’t know what obtains now, but when i was a quarantine officer, all of the stuff were frozen solid at the ports – meat, socks, shoes and all – then they were placed in plastic bags, sealed, and burnt at the gardens incinerator. And there were documents to verify the items confiscated.
I remembered when we stopped the pink mealy bug twice – some jerk wanted th bring in infected kenip into the country…during kenip season… he couldn’t see the bug but we could.
Food safety is a very sensitive issue and the government is talking but doing nothing about it.
The Environmental Heath Officer in my district just has some CXC subjects. How will that person inspect meat for the upcoming holiday season?
The person responsible for Food Safety at the Dominica Bureau of Standards is trained in Agribusiness Management. The bakers did a better job on that recent programme that the officer from the DBStandards.
So how are we going to get things right here when we have square pegs in round holes and the people dont know squat about what they are doing? This government is talking on both sides of their mouth and whistling down the middle. They employ cronies to do very techical jobs and wonder why we not getting anywhere. As Dr Thomas said, these issues will have very very serious implications for our foods exports in the global village where standards mattte. I wish them well.
I agree with Dr.Thomas that those of you bringing unwanted stuff to Dominica knowingly should be fined. At the same time though i woiuld like to express my concern about our personal food safety issues in Dominica. Issues such as individuals who still sell food to the public without a food handlers permit,the incidence of numerous stray dogs around areas where food is prepared and sold,the apparent brazen way in which supermarket owners in Dominica sell extremely poor quality goods especially chicken parts to our people. Dr. Thomas you should not feel bad or apologetic when it for the Environmental Health Department or any other agency because as far as I am concern they are not doing all in their power to ensure that good quality food reaches the consumers. For example, can we gaurantee that these people inspect these kinds of meats coming in them containers at our ports? The Bureau of Standards apparently is and has been a waste of time for the past 10 or so years. To date there has been no significant contribution made by the bureau of standard to ensure that Dominicans get high quality goods. Then again how do we expect the bureau to perform to its optimum when it is headed by an individual who thinks that he is always right and adding insult to injury this gentleman does not allow vacancies to be advertised so the most suitable people are not employed by the bureau. The environmental health department is still employing people who do not have the basic knowledge of health even after there are individuals with the associates degree in environmental from the State college. And there is something that baffles me Dr.Thomas, and that is, why is it that you guys are the veterinarians dealing directly with the farmer and his livestock but at the same time is the Environmental Health Department that do meat inspection. I mean no disrespect to the them but can they truly do proper meat inspection if they do not have all the knowledge about the animals concerned? Dr. Thomas as i read your comment i realise that we need to implement changes within our own society first. We should always seek to put standards on ourselves first before it is put on us by some international organization or first world country.
It there are spelling mistakes I am sorry, I am at a very important meeting to deal with this very issue, and I am busy, and types rather quickly and did not proof read
sorry again.
Please allow me to make a few general comments about what is being said about this initiative. there are many negative comments and I believe it is due to ignorance, and a lack of the desire to inform ourselves on what is happening worldwide. We seem to always think that we are victims. It is damaging that persons would make allegations that people remove items from them and take them home, that is malicious since the are quite aware that the products are destroyed. it seems that the person, wants to make it seem they are a victim. If you had respected the importation laws then, you would not even have a product to even say that the Ministry of Agriculture took home. Maybe persons breaking the laws should be fined as well, so that they would become more responsible. The quarantine services are they to protect Agricultural Health and Food Safety. It means protecting the country against the introduction of disease pests, and the consumers from diseases.If you have proof that people consume the products confiscated them make their names public to the Ministry of Agriculture or stop make allegations. Now Agricultural Health and Food Safety is not meant to dismantle any agency, it is meant to strengthen the safety of the products that we consume using the same institutions working more closely. This would ensure the safety of Food from the fork to the table, that is where food starts. We will all have a role to play. It does not stop environmental health from going to inspect food establishments, or vector control, or envrionmental education. It will mean though a consolidation of the activities with other key agencies and private sector. If you need further information on why we need to put our act together, find out about CAFHSA, obout the New Food Bill being enacted and implemented in the USA and what it will mean for Bello, and benjo seamoss, or sales of food(fruits, vegables,etc) to the tourist ships and any body or company wanting to ship food to the USA and stop the negative, caotic, misrepresentation of the truth or then again it might just be ignorance. Contact the Ministry of Agriculture, or the Bureau of Standards, or IICA for Information on this issue. We need to put our house in order.
I am an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture
The Government should look to Australia where everything is examined, including post, as a means of keeping unwanted diseases/pests from the country.
Chinese imports should be examined even closer. They were Australia’s main culprits as they looked to bringing in all manner of dead animals and plans – medicine, (so they said.
I am not being biased but merely pointing out the obvious.
The pharmacy,s are selling expired products, killing people. Dr Benjamin do something about that.I can advise you how to put a program together.
INSPECT FOOD IN THE STORES. Generally all foods have an expiration date. It is the responsibility of the store owner that goods with an expires date should be pulled off the shelves.Dr.Benjamin should be aware of that and do something about it.
Please check the backs & necks coming in.
IT WAS NOT THE CHINESE THE OWNER IS A BORN DOMINICAN OK SO STOP BLAMING THE CHINESE.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
WE ALL KNOW THE CHINESE DON’T GIVE A CRAP WHAT THEY DO TO MAKE MONEY.
I bought seasoning salt from a supermarket in Roseau it was on sale when i reach home i observe they erace the date on the bottle cuz i bought 3 different sizes. I went back to the supermarket I look at all the bottles that was on sale and there was no date on them. when i check the others the date was on all but those on sale no date so i didnt say anything but that supermarket i wont buy there anymore. I mean if something expire throw it dont sell it for people. A supermarket that is well known in Roseau shame on u all.
“Dr. Benjamin said in order to achieve a National Food Safety Policy in Dominica, the minister of health supports the establishment of a national agriculture health committee which has the capacity to provide guidelines on safety foods in Dominica”.
Unless this is only related to Agricultural produce, I would like someone to tell me why have they not consulted the Environmental Health Department which have trained professionals in Food Safety and have already been very instrumental in Food Hygiene and Safety and Port Health Regulations for Dominica. Is this a situation developing which eventually will result in the marginalization of this very important department? What we need in Dominica is a well organized Port Health System and coordination between the various sectors such as Customs, Port Authority, Immigration and Environmental Health to facilitate all aspects of port health including food inspection. Because of the lack or inadequacy of port health , Dominica is a potential dumping ground for substandard foods coming in from other countries.
Voice from the north you must check to see how many EHOs inspect them container load of chicken coming in on at our ports.
and further more no one is marginalizing any one because is this same department that sub contracted the rodent control to a private firm aren’t they marginalising their own self?
I hope that includes the duty free Chinese food and porducts
Are you going to be testing for pesticide residual because that is number one on the rice.
Expiration dates on products are just guidelines. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is no good after that date.
There should also be testing of pesticides on non-organically grown produce on this island because illness has definitely been caused by these chemicals and some don’t wash off.
I PERSONALLY KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO CARRIES A LOT OF FOOD AND OTHER ITEMS TO HIS HOUSE AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN SEIZED FROM THE PEOPLE COMING FROM ABROAD. THAT IS NOT FEAR AT ALL.THESE PEOPLE MIGHT BE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO HAVE SOMETHING GOV’T SHOULD STOP THAT.THESE PORT WORKERS SHOULD BE SACKED. THERE ARE PORT WORKERS WHO ARE VERY FRIENDLY WITH PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL OFTEN FROM SPECIALLY GUADELOUPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES THEY ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO GO HOME WITH PROHIBITED FOODS AND OTHER ITEMS ;LIKE RAPPERS ETC. IN EXCHANGE OF SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE ASKED FOR EVERY TIME THESE PEOPLE TRAVEL.
PROHIBITED TO COME IN ;PROHIBITED TO GO HOME WITH AND THAT’S IT.
NONSENSE
ALLOW ME TO EDUCATE YOU.
ALL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE CONFISCATED FROM PORTS OF ENTRY IS DESTROYED.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM, SHUT UP.
I TOTALLY DISAGREE. I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM AND KNOW FOR SURE THAT MY CHICHEN, HAM AND CHEESE WENT AT THE HOMES OF THE OFFICERS OF QUARANTINE DIVISION OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE. THEY PRETENDED THAT THEY BURN THEM BUT GOT INFORMATION FROM GOOD SOURCE THAT THE ITEMS WERE SHARED AMONG THEM.
Man, the amount of meat and hams they burn….
They must examine the supermarkets who sell expired foods. They are noted for that in Roseau the big super markets, make an example of one. They can kill you with this products if you are not careful.
Excluding that of the Chinese
Dr Benji in poli-TRICKS now………..